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Louis Bruno sells Bruno Total Home, with state's probe still open

Cape Coral police including a forensic unit and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office are on scene Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, at Bruno Total Home Performance in Bonita Springs. They have been inspecting vehicles and taking documents out of the offices.
Naples

Bruno Total will take on the name and identify of its new owner over the coming weeks, from its simple logo to its bold animal-striped trucks.

In a statement, Bruno described Air Pros and its owner Anthony Perera as a "perfect fit" because of their focus on integrity and reliability and their commitment to "always putting customers first," demonstrated by the company's "white glove" approach to customer service.

"I am confident that Bruno Total customers, as well as Bruno Total's talented staff, will be in excellent hands going forward," Bruno said. "As for me, I"m excited to begin my next career chapter, growing my software company focused on assisting small and mid-sized HVAC companies across the country."

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A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. (Photo: Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press)

Bruno Total Home started out purely as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, company before expanding into electrical, plumbing and general contracting services in more recent years.

The business saw amazing success before facing a series of setbacks, roadblocks and defeats, from growing pains to a state probe. Within three years it grew from a startup to a company with $15 million in annual sales.

The Florida attorney general’s civil and criminal investigations were confirmed after a raid on the business by multiple law enforcement agencies, including Cape Coral police, on Jan 15.

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Chandler Evans works on an air conditioning installation in the 2500 block of Airport-Pulling Road on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018.(Photo: Olivia Vanni/Naples Daily News)

At the time of the raid, the attorney general had received 10 complaints related to the investigation, including claims of shoddy work, overselling and overcharging for products and services, performing unnecessary work, high-pressure sales tactics and unscrupulous loan practices.

Asked about the status of the attorney general's investigations, press secretary Kylie Mason said in an email that because they're still active and ongoing, the office "cannot comment further at this time."

Bruno has defended himself and his company, arguing that it has been unfairly targeted by its competitors and reiterating its dedication to quality workmanship and honest business practices.

Bruno Total Home Performance Technician On-Site(Photo: Bruno Total Home Performance)

In a company statement Friday, Bruno said he's proud of the business he and his employees built and he'll forever be "appreciative for the trust" that customers and co-workers put in him and his business.

In its press release, Air Pros shared that its acquisition of Bruno Total would increase its customer based by 55,000 and position it for "additional acquisitions, market expansions and overall growth."

Earlier this month, Air Pros announced the purchase of Blue Star Heating and Air in Texas and Solar Bear Cooling and Heating in Tampa.

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A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

A large contingent of law enforcement officials from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Cape Coral Police Department congregated at Bruno Total Home Performance on Tuesday morning. Boxes filled with paper bags were seen being removed. An officer on the scene said it was a state investigation but would no elaborate. Andrew West/The Naples Daily News, Andrew West/The News-Press

Boxes of items are brought out of Bruno Total Home in Bonita Springs on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. There is a large law enforcement presence at the site that includes Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Cape Coral Police Department. An officer stated it was a state investigation. Andrew West, The News-Press

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Before acquiring Bruno Total, Air Pros already had growing operations in the Fort Myers area. So it's no stranger to Southwest Florida.

"As we began to seek acquisition partners in the market, we reached out to Bruno to gauge their interest and we began a long period of due diligence before proceeding with the acquisition," Perera said in an email.

Asked about pending lawsuits and investigations involving Bruno Total, Perera said his company's acquisition is "solely of Bruno assets," including trucks and client lists.

"We can't speak to any investigations or lawsuits," Perera said. "In doing our due diligence over six months, we did significant customer interviews and surveys, finding that 91% of customers were pleased with their services, which played a role in our decision to proceed with the acquisition."

Photo of Air Pros van.(Photo: Submitted)

Legal challenges include several lawsuits filed by Bruno Total's early investors Larry and Arby Lipman. In one of those cases, court records show that Larry Lipman, through a revocable trust, obtained a more than $1.5 million judgment against Bruno's company for the repayment of a loan that became due in June, with interest.

After failing to collect the judgment from the company, Lipman has since filed a suit against Bruno personally, based on his 60% personal guarantee of the loan.

Perera declined to offer more specifics about the acquisition, including the price he paid for Bruno Total's assets.

Air Pros has offered to hire Bruno's staff, but they'll have to undergo its training programs to learn its processes and expectations to "ensure every employee has a customer-first focus," Perera said.

"While I cannot share how many have agreed to become Air Pros employees, we do expect the vast majority to make the transition," he said.

Air Pros will continue to operate out of Bruno Total's former headquarters on Cargo Court, near the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track, "for the time being," Perera said, and its management team will be "very involved in day-to-day operations through the transition."

Looking ahead, Air Pros, a family-owned private business, plans more growth, organically and through other acquisitions. The company expects to introduce more franchise partners soon.